Fuel loading and intermixing method



April 28, 1942.

\ J. A. HYsoN ETAL 2,281,498

FUEL LOADING AND- INTERMIXING METHOD -O' lFldJl 6,1939

rlglna l e u 3 Sheets-Sheet l mi m7 J. A. l-lYsON x-:T AL 2,281,498

FUEL LOADING AND INTERMIXING METHOD April 28, 1942.

Original Filed July G, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 naz.

April 28, 1942. J. A. HYsoN ET AL FUEL LOADING AND INTERN/xix ING METHODOriginal Filed July 6, 1939 .3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

Patented Apr 28, 1.942 I,

FUEL LOADING AND INTERIMIXING METHOD John A. Hyson, Merwood Park, andJoseph H. Kerrick, Philadelphia, Pa., assignors to The Philadelphia andReading Coal and Iron Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Penn-Sylvania Original application July 6, 1939, Serial No.

282,968. Divided and this application December 31, 1940, Serial No.372,626

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improved method of loading a barge orsimilar carrier and has particular reference to the loading of coal. Aspecial purpose of the invention has been to facilitate the productionof a mixture of different kinds of coal, such as bituminous andanthracite coals.

An object of the invention has been to devise a method of deliveringdierent types of coal to a barge or similar carrier in a way todistribute the coal with substantial uniformity over the area of thebarge in alternate layers of different types, the quantity of coaldistributed in each layer depending upon the character of the ultimatemixture desired.

This is a division of our pending application Ser. No. 282,968, filedJuly 6, 1939.

In the production of mixtures of the character contemplated, it isimportant to obtain a reasonably uniform and thorough intermixture ofthe selected coals. However, the expense of such intermixture must bekept as low as possible in order to make the use of the mixturecommercially practicable. Accordingly, a special feature of theinvention has been to bring about the loading of a barge or othercarrier, employed in the transfer of coal from a railroad terminal orthe like to a point of use, in such a way as to facilitate theproduction of the desired mixture and with little or no additionalexpense in the handling of the coal.

Briefly, the mixing method involves the dumping of the coal in alternatelayers of bituminous and anthracite into a barge, boat or other means ofconveyance used for transporting the fuel from one point, such as arailway siding, or the like, to an unloading point adjacent the point ofuse. At the unloading point a grab bucket, or the like, capable ofbiting through two or more layers of the fuel, is used to remove thefuel from the barge. This serves to bring together, in the approximatelycorrect proportions, the two types of coal, at the same time eecting acertain degree of intermixture. In the subsequent handling of the coalby means of a series of belts or bucket conveyors, with the dumping ofthe coal a number of times from one conveyor to another, a more thoroughintermixture is obtained. The present case, however, is concerned merelywith the improved method and means employed at the loading point. Otherphases of the invention, such as the mixing method and means as a wholeand the features at the unloading point as well as the improved mixtureitself, form the subjects matter of the above-mentioned parent case andanother division thereof.

Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention willappear from the' detailed description of the illustrative method andapparatus which will now be given in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which: 4

Fig. 1 is a front elevational View of the apparatus employed for loadinga barge.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of this apparatus.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, sectional view through the barge, partlyloaded.

Figs. 4 to 9, inclusive, are schematic views in transverse sectionthrough the barge, indicating successive stages in the loading of thebarge, and

Fig. 10 is a similar schematic view showing the barge fully loaded andindicatinga grab bucket used in the unloading of the coal.

Referring now particularly to Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, there isshown the apparatus for loading the coal or similar solid fuel into abarge. The fuel is delivered to the loading apparatus in an open railwaycar IU, arriving on a track II at the level of the ground at the loadingpoint. The car is then drawn up on a trestle or inclinedsection of trackI2 by means of va cable I3 having a hook or other fastening means at itsend adapted to be attached to a suitable portion ofthe car. The cable iswound upon the drumof a winch I4, which may be operated by any suitablepower means, such as an electric motor, under the control of anattendant in the control house I5.' By means of the cable I3 the loadedcoal car is brought to the lower level I6 of a platform Il of anappropriate car-elevating structure. In Fig. 2 the elevator is shown, infull lines, intermediate its upper and lower positions. l'Ihe car may bedrawn onto the platform Il by means of the cable I3, sufficient momentumbeing imparted to it for this purpose.

The elevator may be of any conventional and desired form, capable oflifting a loaded car and tilting it through an angle of or more to dumpits contents. It may suitably comprise a pair of spaced, angularsupporting members I8 adapted to travel upwardly along suitableguideways provided in a pair of towers or columns I9. When the elevatorhas been raised to the point indicated in broken lines in Fig. 2, itistilted about an appropriate pivot provided adjacent the upper ends ofthe angle members I8. Cables 20, under the control of an operator in acontrol house 2l above the dumping point, serve to rock the elevatorabout its pivot through the` required angle. To retain the car in afixed position on the tracks of the platform Il, during thedumptelescopic construction adapting 4it't'ofbelengthened or shortened,as desired. The lower member 26 of the spout is also adapted to beturned about its vertical axis into any desired position and it carriesa gate, preferably ofthe rotary rately drawn taut in the handling ofbarges of different lengths.

In the operation of the loading apparatus, the bituminous and anthracitecoals are alternately dumped into the hopper 23 by the tilting of theelevator, although a number of cars of bituminous will be dumped foreach car of anthracite dumped. The preferred, improved mixable inloading a barge of 1000 tons capacity to first elevate and dump two carsof the bituminous coal, each car being of 50 tons capacity. As these ycars are being dumped, the barge will be shifted .from end to end at asufficient speed to enable type, at its lower end for either closing offfthe spout or opening it to any desired extent. Swivel and gateconstructions of this character are well known and may be of anysuitable and conventional form. Turning of the lower portion of Athedown spout about its vertical axis may be effected by a cable2l operatedunder the control of an-operator in a-control house 28. The openingand'closing of the gate may be controlled by cables 29 extending toasuitable point on the dock 30 alongthe side of which the barge 3l ispositioned for appropriate manoeuvering. An operator, stationed on thedock 38 in a position to observe the loading of the barge, may operatethe cables 29 for opening and closing they rotary gate, as desired.

During the loading operation the barge 3| is shifted -back and forthlongitudinally beneath the down spout to -insure the proper distributionof the coal in layers throughout thelength of the barge. For the purposeof so shifting the barge,

a pair of Winches 32 and 33 is provided, these winchesbeing under thecontrol of an operator in a control vhouse 34. A cable 35, wound uponthe drum of the winch 32, is passed around a post 3S xed to the dock 30at a point beyond the right end of the barge (Fig. 1) when the latter isshifted to its extremerighthand position. The y end of the cable issecured in any desired Way to the end of the barge, as `by means of aloop thrown around a post 3'1. A vsimilar cable 38, Wound upon the drumof the winch 33, is .passed around a post 39 carried by the dock at apoint' beyond the left end of the barge (Fig. 1) when the latter is inits extreme lefthand position. The end of cable 38 is attached in any.suitable way to the end of the barge, as by means of a loop thrownaround a post 40.

It will be understood that the Winches V32l and 33 are adapted to bedriven bypower from any suitable source, such as an electric motor, andare arranged to be rotated in opposite directions under the control ofan operator in the control house 34. Accordinglyas the cable 35 is beingwound upon its drum, the cable 33 will be unwound and the barge willbeVshifted toward the right in Fig. 1. When thewinches'arereversed,

yandthe cable 38 is wound While the cable 35 is while the other is beingunwound from the other end of the drum. However, the employment of 1separate Winches enables-the use of simple loops at the .endsofthecables to be thrown over the posts Bland- 40 andipermits the cables tobesepaz rthe coal to `be distributed in an elongated pile of propriatelybe about 1/2 `foot per second, although the speed may be variedA to suitthe Aparticular requirements. In vcross-sectionthe pile or ridge of coalwill be-substantially as indicated at 4I in Figure 4. In introducing.this and subsequent layers of bituminous, thegate of the down spout ispreferably left Wide open so as to offer no obstacle to the flow of thecoal, which may contain a substantial quantity of large lumps. Thebituminous employed in the improved mixture is preferably run of themine, having a moisture content between 3 and 4%. Its preferredcharacter is more fully set forth in the parent .application. The firstlayer or load of bituminous is not spread to theextreme sides of thebarge but the peak 42, indicatedin Figure 4, is eliminated bythespreading of the `top portion of the elongated pile into thel roundedform indicated at 43 in Figure 5. This spreading or trimming of the coalmay suitably be done by manual labor.

After the two. carloads of bituminous have been introduced into'thebarge and trimmed, a 50-ton car of anthracite is delivered to theelevator and dumped into. the chute 24. This anthracite is then spreadover the top of the ridge of bituminousY forming the rst layer, lby themovement of the barge longitudinally-beneath the downspout. At this timethe speed of movement of the barge is preferably increased to about 1foot per second and the gate attheflowerend of the .down-spout islpartially closed so'that theV opening througliwhichthe coal isdischarged is only about l@ or 1A; the vmaximum available. This is 4forthe reason-thatl the anthracite `flows freely, like sand, .and thesingle car-load 0f'50 tons would not be distributed throughout rthelength'of the barge if its movement -werenot speeded up and the gate ofthe down-spout partially closed. The anthracite preferablyiemployed is afine bucke Wheat commonly kdesignated #4. -Its particles ordinarilyrange from %4 toy %2". Other preferred characteristics.v oftheanthra'cite are `set forth in the parent case. 1in-practice it Ahasbeen founddesirable tocompletelyfclose the gate of the down-spout `asthe last fhatch adjacent the end of the barge passes beneathethedown-spout. This guards against the accumulation of an excessive amount4oflthe fuel'at the ends of the barge.'

The rate of .movement of vthe barge and the be such .that the completeload of Vbituminous-or .anthracitaasthe casemay be;wil1'bedeposited -yupon a single movement-ofthe'barge in one direction or these rates maybe such that a complete reciprocation of the barge, or several toand-fromovements of the barge, are required to deposit each layer. As the bargeis shifted beneath the down spout the member 26 may be turned oroscillated, if desired, by the operator in the control house 28 so as tobring about a more uniform spreading of the coal. Trimming of thebituminous might be avoided in this way. However, in practice it hasbeen found best to leave the spout in a position in which the coal willbe directed in a direction opposite to that in which the barge is beingshifted. It will be understood that the lower end of the downspout has atendency to direct the coal in a definite direction away from thevertical axis of the spout particularly when the gate is partiallyclosed. Accordingly, in the preferred practice the member 26 is swung180 about its axis as the barge reaches each end of its travel so thatthe coal will be thrown in the opposite direction from the verticalcenter line of the spout as the movement of the barge is reversed.

Upon completion of the introduction of the rst layer or load ofanthracite coal, designated 54 in Figure 6, the two layers will presentin cross-section substantially the appearance indicated in Figure 6. Notrimming of the top layer of anthracite is necessary since it has anormal tendency to flatten out as indicated. It will be observed thateven at this stage little or no coal is spread to the extreme side edgesof the barge.

Another layer of bituminous coal, as indicated at d in Figure 7, is nowintroduced, in the same manner as the first layer. bituminous ispreferably 200 tons, in the production of the preferred mixture with theaid of a 100G-ton barge, so that four 50-ton cars of bituminous aredumped into the hopper 23 for the formation of the layer. As indicatedin Figure '7, a substantial deposit of fuel will have been spread fromthis second bituminous layer to the extreme side edges of the barge.After trimming of the peak 4S to provide the rounded effect indicated at51 in Figure 8, another 50-ton layer 118 l (Figure 9) of anthracite isintroduced and spread over the second layer of bituminous, this beingaccomplished, without trimming, by the simple movement of the bargebeneath the down spout,

in the same manner as the first layer of anthracite.

This operation of introducing successive layers of bituminous andanthracite is continued until the capacity of the barge is reached. Themember 26 of the down spout may be lowered at the beginning of theloading process and then raised as the barge becomes filled or it may beleft continuously with its discharge end at substantially the level ofthe top of the barge to minimize loss of the ne particles in the air.The successive layers of bituminous are preferably in D-ton quantities,when the barge is of 100G-ton capacity, while the successive layers ofanthracite are preferably tons. Figure 10 illustrates the arrangement ofthe succeeding layers 49, 5l and 53 of bituminous and 50 and 52 ofanthracite. It will be understood that the successive layers ofbituminous require trimming While the successive layers of anthracite donot. The top layer 53 of bituminous, however, need not be trimmed andthis layer preferably is reduced to 100 tons, corresponding with thelowermost layer. The quantities of coal employed in the several layersmay, of course, be varied to suit particular requirements. Thus theultimate proportioning of This second layer of anthracite and bituminousmay vary, as will be later explained and even in arriving at the sameproportions the number oflayers and the quantities ofcoal employed inthel successive layers maybe varied. Some variation is necessarilybrought about through the impossibility of insuring the presence of aprecise amount, such as 50 tons, of coal in each car. However, ingeneral it is best to form the top and bottom layers of bituminous andpreferably of somewhat less magnitude than the intermediate bituminouslayers. An advantage in vtopping o with bituminous coal is that itserves to shield the anthracite which would be likely to take on moremoisture in the event of rain.v

After the barge has been loaded in the manner indicated, the cables 35and 38 are disconnected from it and it is towed to the unloading point.Here, the coal is removed from the barge, preferably by means of a grabbucket 54 (Figure 10) carried by a derrick or unloading tower ofconventional design. As illustrated in Figure 10, the grab bucket shouldbe of such capacity and shape as to dig through or bite into at leasttwo layers of the coal upon each operation. This, in View of thedistribution of the coal in the various layers, insures substantiallythe correct proportioning of bituminous and anthracite coal for eachload of the grab bucket. It has been found, upon analysis of the nalcoal mixture obtained from the operation of the grab bucket upondifferent portions of the load in the barge, that the proportioning ofbituminous to anthracite is maintained substantially uniform. There is,of course, a slight variation but the variation is well withinpermissible limits.

As explained more fully in the aforementioned parent case the coal takenfrom several layers upon each operation of the grab bucket is. deliveredto an appropriate conveyor system which, through successive transfers bydumping or the like, serves to bring about a desirable, intimateintermixture,

By preventing the anthracite from spreading freely to the edges of thebarge, which is in part accomplished by the timely opening and closingof the gate of the down spout, the presence of an excessive amount ofanthracite in any portion of the mixture is avoided. As explained in theparent case, an excessive amount of anthracite would so increase themoisture content of the mixture as to cause trouble in its use.

While a preferred method and apparatus employed in accordance with thepresent invention have been described in considerable detail it shouldbe understood that various modifications may be made without departingfrom the general principles and scope of the invention. The terms andexpressions employedv herein have been used as terms of description andnot of limitation.

We claim:

1. A method of loading different types of solid fuel into a carrier forthe purpose of aiding the inter-mixture thereof which comprises dumpingthe different types of fuel successively in desired ratio from a seriesof cars through a hopper, delivering the fuel from said hopper to apredetermined point, and shifting the carrier back and forth Withrespect to said point to distribute the fuel in a series of layerswithin the carrier as it is delivered from the hopper.

2. A method of loading and unloading different types of solid fuel intoand from a carrier for the purpose of aiding the inter-mixture thereofwhich comprisesdumpingrst one and then another of the different typesoffuel 'in desired ratio from a series of cars successively through ahopper, delivering the fuel from said hopper to a predetermined point,`shifting the carrier back and forth with respect to said -pointtodistribute the fuel within the carrier in successive layers of firstone and then another type of fuel as it is delivered, and removingsuccessive portions of the fuel from the top of -the carrier, eachportion being taken from a plurality of layers and containing thedifferent types of fuel in substantially the proportions in which theyare disposed in the layers.

3. A method of loading different types of solid `fuelinto a-carrierforthe purpose of aiding `the `inter-mixture thereof which comprisesdumping `rstone and then -another of the different types of-fuel indesired ratio from a series of cars successively through a hopper,delivering the fuel fromsaid hopper to a'predetermined point,shiftingthe Ycarrier back and forth with respect to -fsaidr-point todistribute thefuel in aseries of layers within the carrier, and varyingthe-.rate

ofv discharge ofthe -fuel -fromthe hopper vas the different `types aredelivered. 4. A method of loading different types of solid fuel into acarrierfor the purpose of aiding the Hinter-mixture thereof -Whichcomprises dumping first one and `then another of the different types offuel in desired ratio from a series of cars successively throughahopper;` delivering the fuel from said` hopper to a predeterminedpoint, shifting the carrier *back and forth withl respect tosaid-pointto distribute the fuel in a series of Y are delivered.

5'. Amethod ofloading bituminous and anthracite coal into a carrier forthe purpose of 4aiding the inter-mixture thereof whichcomprisesdelivering successively to a hopper quantities of bitu-` minousand anthracite coal in the ratio desired,

separately deliver-ing saidtwo typesof coal from said-hopper to apredetermined point, shifting the carrier back and forth withvrespecttosaid point -to.distribute -the coal thereinin aseries oflayers, 'and'varying the rate'of discharge of thecoal lfrom the hopper into thecarrier zas the differentfkinds are delivered.

egesligios 6. A method-of loading bituminous and anthra- -cite coal intoa carrier and removing the 'same therefrom for the purpose of raidingthe interhmixture thereof which comprises deliveringlsuc- Vcessively toa hopper quantities of bituminous andlanthracite coal in the ratiodesired, sepa- -ratelyldelivering said two 4types of coal from said-successive portions of the coal from the top of the carrier, eachportion being taken from a plurality of layers and containing thebituminous andanthracite coal in substantially the proportions in whichthey are disposed in the layers.

7. A method of loading bituminous and anthracitefcoal into a carrier andremoving the same therefromfor the purpose of aiding the intermixturethereof which comprises delivering successively to a hopper quantitiesof bituminous and anthracite coal in the ratio desired, separatelydelivering said two types of coal from said hopper to a predeterminedpoint, shifting the carrier back and forth at a rate of about 0.5 to 1.0foot per second with respect to said point to distribute the-coaltherein in layers, varying the rate of discharge of the coal into thecarrier as the different kinds are delivered, and removing successiveportions of the coal from the top of thev carrier, each portion beingtaken from a plurality of layers and containing the bituminous andanthracite coal in substantially the proportions in which they aredisposed in the layers.

8. A method of loading different types of solid fuel into a carrier forthe purpose of aiding the inter-mixture thereof-which comprises dumpingrst one and then another of the different types of fuel in desired ratiofrom a series of cars successively into a hopper, separately deliveringthe different types of fuel from said hopper toa predeter-mined point,shifting the carrier back and forth with respect to said point todistribute the fuel within the carrier in successive layers of firstoney and then another type of fuel as it is delivered, and trimming eachlayer of one type of fuel before distributing the next layer of anothertype.

JOHN A. HYSON.

y JOSEPH H. KERRICK.

